Warrior193

So, unless the DPF delete has been done in a manner that it is visually undetectable, that dealers MOT is probably worthless, I wonder what else the tester missed? Was this an 'approved used' vehicle?

From the invoice, I believe that it had simply loosened, resulting in damage to the sealing ring. Seems that replacement of the damaged seal and correctly tighten the bolts was sufficient for fix.

A reasonable test for a fully-charged battery is to test what the voltage minimum is while the engine is being cranked - a load is really needed to check actual battery health.

No issues since June last year. Apart from this single issue, I think the 1.4TSI is a brilliant engine - although I wouldn't say no if I was offered a straight swap for a 2.0TSI 245! 😄

Have you had any MOT issues with the DPF delete?

White smoke from a diesel can be concerning, I'm trying to recall why. Blue smoke = oil. Black = excess fuel. If I recall correctly, I think white smoke indicates coolant, perhaps someone can confirm. Is coolant being lost?

I do know that TDIs can be sensitive to slow cranking speeds, although I don't know why it would crank OK when dead cold, but not so much after a 6 to 8 hour stop. Is there an unusual amount of smoke after a slow start?

I don't have recent experience with diesels, but it may not be necessary to replace glow plugs if they test OK.

I wouldn't consider that to be a 'warm' start - engine will have cooled to ambient temperature after 6 to 8 hour stop.

I believe that at least one glow plug also incorporates a pressure sensor.

That may even be original battery, if so has done extremely well - is there a date code stamped on the neg. terminal?

Warm start is definitely going to be less stressful on battery than cold, so something else is possibly the cause of slower warm start.

Is your 2014 vehicle fitted with Stop/Start? OBD reader is probably unable to give a battery condition report. Given the way the battery management operates for recuperative charging, consider adding a suitable battery test instrument (and possibly charger) to tool box.

Hello, welcome to the forum. Did you actually have a fire caused by this failure? I filed a report to the DVSA detailing my fault and highlighting the NHTSA recall, they dismissed my report, saying that there was considered to be no fire risk!

What is typical usage of vehicle - is it mostly short trips? Do you know how old the battery is? There is often a date code stamped onto the top of negative terminal - format is WW;YY. Suggest getting a full battery test, there are very reasonably-priced test meters available that will give accurate condition readings - or get a trusted garage to do it, who may charge a significant portion of the cost of having your own device. Outlets providing 'free battery testing' may not always be competent or completely unbiased.

Hello, welcome to the forum. Best advice is to get the battery tested, don't forget that any replacement battery will require adaptation (coding) to the vehicles BCM. Also, get the DTCs (error codes) read from the OBD data port.

Hello, welcome to the forum. That alternator output, if constant, could possibly be an indicator that the battery is struggling to hold charge - depending on whether it drops back to float voltage after replacing usage, etc. shortly after start up. Around 14.7 volts is normal, max. charging voltage for AGM/EFB. One fact I've not often seen mentioned is that a charged secondary battery, in good health, acts like a smoothing capacitor, if battery health is compromised, more electrical interference (noise) from the alternator can be present in the vehicle circuits. Have you had the battery tested?

I'd take a guess that's paint transfer, try a gentle rub with car wash and cleaning pad - or a very gentle wipe with T-cut.

If the EV pictured is the one off your vehicle, it was originally fitted with the Silicate 'teabag' - it is possible that it was previously removed if you aren't original owner. I have not seen any other 'mit silicate' tag apart from the one shown on the EV. If that is your EV, strongly recommend replacement.

Are you sure there's no toe adjustment? What type or rear suspension does the Mk1 vRS have - IRS or torsion bar? If there's truly no adjustment possible, excess inner tread wear could indicate running too low tyre pressure for load (although wear would normally be on inner and outer) - or something's bent.

I'm struggling to see any connection between an indicated under boost issue and faulty glowplugs! What was the DTC that was read?

Bexhillian beat me to it, just came back from the Octavia to check - the satellites in view info in split screen mode is the same as MIB2.

Pedal feel and response improving when it is pumped would strongly suggest air in hydraulic system to me. Does the fluid level in the master cylinder look as if it has dropped since the repair?

Does an aftermarket add-on spoiler like that not mask the high-level brake light?

While not perfect, testing the voltage at the battery terminals while cranking the engine on the starter motor is a reasonable test of battery health. A high-rate discharge is still the best test, but a dedicated battery tester is a relatively inexpensive and extremely useful tool to have.